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Neal Math Science Academy

Public Grades 6-8

1225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 10% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Neal Math Science Academy is a public middle school in North Chicago, Illinois, serving 545 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the North Chicago School District 187, which is ranked 729 out of 811 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $15,755 to $20,679 per year, Neal Math Science Academy consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Illinois middle schools, with only 22.3% of students proficient or better in ELA and 9.8% in Math, compared to state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. The school also struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 39.6% over the past few years. These challenges are not unique to the school's overall population, as the performance of student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, English Language Learners, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, are all in the bottom quartile of Illinois middle schools.

When compared to nearby middle schools, the performance gap is stark. For example, Highland Middle School in Libertyville and Lake Bluff Middle School both have significantly higher academic achievement, with 75.5% and 54.9% of students proficient or better in Math, respectively. Addressing the issues of chronic absenteeism and providing equitable educational opportunities for all students will be crucial for improving the academic performance at Neal Math Science Academy.

601

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,603

Per pupil spending ?

98.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1905 Argonne Dr
North Chicago, IL 60064-2500

(847) 689-6313

District: North Chicago School District 187

Students who attend Neal Math Science Academy usually attend:

High:

North Chicago Community High School

Feeder schools for Neal Math Science Academy:

Elementary:	A J Katzenmaier Academy
	Evelyn Alexander School
	Forrestal Elementary School
	LEARN Charter School 6 N Chicago Campus

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.7%

African American:

33.6%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Neal Math Science Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2015 → 10th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (18% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 25% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg23%

Illinois avg46%

1,225^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

729^th of 811North Chicago School District 187 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.3	1225 of 1368	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	1196 of 1363	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	1274 of 1367	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	1100 of 1369	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.0	1170 of 1241	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.7	1225 of 1356	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.6	1177 of 1293	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	13.2	1191 of 1293	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.5	1238 of 1294	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.1	1220 of 1302	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	4.5	1295 of 1322	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.3	1355 of 1367	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.7	1347 of 1365	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.3	1333 of 1344	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	2.4	1307 of 1327	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.0	1299 of 1318	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.2	1245 of 1293	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	7.7	1195 of 1287	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	9.8	1148 of 1272	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	10.1	1064 of 1209	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	10.2	1062 of 1204	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	11.3	1032 of 1185	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	30.0	426 of 574	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	430 of 548	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.4	536 of 569	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	35.9	359 of 573	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.7	280 of 385	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.7	550 of 565	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.9	466 of 511	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.1	583 of 694	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.1	534 of 639	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	568 of 674	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	33.2	338 of 483	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.6	339 of 486	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.9	438 of 480	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	47.6	167 of 454	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.9	210 of 277	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.4	298 of 339	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.2	252 of 285	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.6	1103 of 1248	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	1096 of 1251	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	1159 of 1275	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	1018 of 1286	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.4	977 of 1017	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.3	1127 of 1276	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.9	1128 of 1226	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.6	614 of 669	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.1	555 of 643	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	611 of 661	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.7	553 of 662	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.0	508 of 517	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.1	612 of 639	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.9	559 of 590	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.8	46 of 58	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.7	42 of 70	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	1081 of 1229	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.4	991 of 1219	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	1121 of 1234	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	910 of 1221	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.2	929 of 1019	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	1070 of 1217	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.9	1013 of 1161	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.1	1158 of 1271	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	1114 of 1264	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.7	1224 of 1292	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.8	1075 of 1286	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	999 of 1048	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	1183 of 1296	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.3	1092 of 1223	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	13 of 21	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.7	10 of 12	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	14.5	179 of 195	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.5	711 of 812	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	751 of 802	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.2	753 of 805	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	620 of 781	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.2	428 of 548	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.0	672 of 792	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	471 of 602	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	6.7	882 of 895	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.0	860 of 898	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.4	800 of 813	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Military Connected (2025)38th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)30th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2025)26th percentile+15 vs school

Homeless (2025)21st percentile+10 vs school

Disabled (2025)16th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2025)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)12th percentile~ school

Female (2025)12th percentile~ school

Male (2025)9th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)8th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2022)8th percentile-11 vs school

White (2023)1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts22%-31 vs state

Science21%-24 vs state

Mathematics10%-29 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, September 24, 2018

The leadership has no control over the school. The students behave terribly usually without the knowledge of the faculty or the "Security" team.
My son was assaulted and no one knew until I went in to the school and raised hell. What is the point of having a security team on campus if students
get assaulted in the hallways and dont have the confidence in the school leadership to speak up for themselves

My son was assaulted several times in the hallways of this school. Not by a bigger kid hoping to get lunch money. It was a female student just for the sake of bullying.
When notified the student was not punished accordingly, a light slap on the wrist. If this was a school that was not in such a bad area the consequences for those kind ofactions are much more severe. There is no one to teach these students right from wrong.

This school is a shame. It is very close to a navy base so military members that cannot get their children into the charter school have almost no choice but to
try to deal with this place. My son only attended for two months before bullying made me withdraw him. Don't try to tell the staff of their issues. It is clear
that no one at or around this school cares. Not the faculty, not the students, and definitely not the parents Close Quote

Schools Near Neal Math Science Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)					IAR Mathematics (2025)					% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Neal Math Science Academy	Public	6-8	1905 Argonne Dr	North Chicago	60064	Lake County	North Chicago School District 187	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 689-6313	601	39	15.4	98.8%	13 (2.2%)	202 (33.6%)	365 (60.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.5%)	14.3	1225^th of 1368 public middle schools	10.5%		16.1	1196^th of 1363 public middle schools	12.3%	29		21.3		24.4	17.2	25.7	22.3		6.9	9.7	12.4	9.8	99.3	99.1	99.1	99.1	99.4	98.1	99.6	96.4	$19,603	$1,141	$18,461
John R Lewis Middle School	Public	6-8	600 S Lewis Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2560	721	64	11.2	74.1%	26 (3.6%)	101 (14.0%)	569 (78.9%)	9 (1.2%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.1%)	28.7	953^rd of 1368 public middle schools	30.3%		27.5	952^nd of 1363 public middle schools	30.2%	1		29.9		33.2	31.8	38.2	34.5		19.6	20.4	23.5	21.2	94.6	81.9	96.3	96.3	95.5	95.1	95.6	69.6	$23,464	$1,526	$21,938
Robert E Abbott Middle School	Public	6-8	1319 Washington St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2360	585	49	11.9	71.1%	14 (2.4%)	37 (6.3%)	523 (89.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	12.3	1269^th of 1368 public middle schools	7.2%		14.8	1232^nd of 1363 public middle schools	9.6%	37		16.8		21.5	16.0	26.8	21.8		7.7	8.6	7.4	7.9	94.4	95.9	95.9	95.9	94.7	94.7	95.3	57.2	$21,327	$1,293	$20,034
Miguel Juarez Middle School	Public	6-8	201 N Butrick St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2660	651	61	10.6	69.6%	14 (2.2%)	66 (10.1%)	543 (83.4%)	10 (1.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (1.8%)	12	1276^th of 1368 public middle schools	6.7%		10.9	1317^th of 1363 public middle schools	3.4%	41		16.6		15.0	10.3	19.0	14.4		11.5	12.4	8.0	10.8	94.7	96.3	96.3	96.3	95.6	95.1	95.5	69.6	$22,276	$1,596	$20,680
Edith M Smith Middle School	Public	6-8	930 New York St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2760	493	44	11.2	72.2%	19 (3.9%)	53 (10.8%)	403 (81.7%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.2%)	9.4	1324^th of 1368 public middle schools	3.2%		14.5	1237^th of 1363 public middle schools	9.2%	87		14.6		8.7	12.9	17.2	13.0		4.7	10.0	5.7	6.7	96.7	96.1	96.1	96.1	95.2	94.4	95.9	63.3	$22,545	$1,300	$21,244
Lake Bluff Middle School	Public	6-8	31 E Sheridan Pl	Lake Bluff	60044	Lake County	Lake Bluff Education Service District 65	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 234-9407	305	31	9.9		218 (71.5%)	3 (1.0%)	47 (15.4%)	22 (7.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.6%)	92.2	89^th of 1368 public middle schools	93.5%		90.1	115^th of 1363 public middle schools	91.6%	26		72.5		72.5	84.6	90.3	82.2		54.1	62.6	69.9	62.0	99.7	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.7	99.0	99.3	95.2	$26,114	$512	$25,602
Viking School	Public	6-8	4460 Old Grand Ave	Gurnee	60031	Lake County	Gurnee School District 56	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 336-2108	461	39	11.8	54.4%	88 (19.1%)	108 (23.4%)	216 (46.9%)	17 (3.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.5%)	19.1	1138^th of 1368 public middle schools	16.8%		25.6	990^th of 1363 public middle schools	27.4%	148		34.1		25.4	16.1	34.7	25.8		6.8	7.5	16.6	10.7	95.2	95.8	95.8	95.8	96.4	95.2	96.8	82.7	$19,652	$740	$18,912
Jack Benny Middle School	Public	6-8	1401 Montesano Ave	Waukegan	60087	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2470	475	38	12.5	62.1%	19 (4.0%)	47 (9.9%)	357 (75.2%)	34 (7.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.3%)	15.5	1206^th of 1368 public middle schools	11.8%		13.8	1252^nd of 1363 public middle schools	8.1%	46		22.3		24.0	16.7	22.3	20.9		14.7	14.8	7.7	12.2	95.5	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	93.8	95.3	72.9	$21,158	$1,607	$19,551
Deer Path Middle School East	Public	5-6	300 S Waukegan Rd	Lake Forest	60045	Lake County	Lake Forest School District 67	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 615-4470	375	38	9.8		316 (84.3%)	4 (1.1%)	17 (4.5%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.9%)								(n/a)	62.8		82.7	89.4			86.1	74.0	73.5			73.8	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.5	47.0	$27,072	$423	$26,648
Deer Path Middle School West	Public	7-8	300 S Waukegan Rd	Lake Forest	60045	Lake County	Lake Forest School District 67	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 604-7400	361	42	8.5		305 (84.5%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.3%)	18 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.6%)	96.7	28^th of 1368 public middle schools	98.0%		93.3	79^th of 1363 public middle schools	94.2%	51		85.0			83.1	89.6	86.3			78.1	82.8	80.4	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.7	$28,756	$423	$28,332

Frequently Asked Questions about Neal Math Science Academy

What high school do graduates of Neal Math Science Academy attend?

Students who attend Neal Math Science Academy usually go on to attend North Chicago Community High School

How many students attend Neal Math Science Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 601 students attended Neal Math Science Academy.

What district is Neal Math Science Academy in?

North Chicago School District 187

Is Neal Math Science Academy a good school?

Neal Math Science Academy ranks in the bottom 10.5% of Illinois middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Neal Math Science Academy?

Students at Neal Math Science Academy are 61% Hispanic, 34% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

Rate Neal Math Science Academy!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.